Day 7: Santa Fe to Albuquerque
Loretto Chapel
Brontosaurus Family (photo op) 
Drive to Albuquerque

Well, folks, this is the last of our Pre-Road Trip Blog - that's right - Part 2 to Part 14 just about covers the Cousins' portion (7 days of fun and driving) around New Mexico. 

Why?  Well, as of tomorrow, Tanya will be well on her way to the Southwest with her kiddies, making her way towards New Mexico, and Elisa (your's truly!) will be heading out of New York Friday morning with her girls for there as well

That means, that starting tomorrow, Tanya will start LIVE BLOGGING as she begins her road trip from Anaheim, California through Arizona, stopping in Sedona for a few days of exciting and scenic stops, as she traverses towards Albuquerque, with an ETA of late afternoon, Friday, October 3rd.  

I cannot tell you the excitement that is brewing in my household, knowing all the cousins will be together at the end of this week! LIVE BLOGGING will begin on Saturday, October 4th from Balloon Fiesta by BOTH Tanya and Elisa - so be sure to check in daily!!!

So, back to Day 7 -- this will be the last day of our joint road trip as we leave Santa Fe and our lovely rental house, back towards Albuquerque, where we we all met up, a week prior.  

Our return drive is not terribly long, but we do have a number of lively spots to see along the way. Our first visit will be Loretto Chapel.  This chapel is located at at the end of the Santa Fe Trail and was built in the 1870's.  It has a very interesting history and it is known for the two mysteries that surround the spiral staircase inside the Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. 

The Miraculous Staircase, which legend says was constructed or inspired by St. Joseph the Carpenter, was built sometime between 1877 and 1881. It took at least six months to build, and has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support.  Now, as for the details of the mystery, I'm taking the liberty of including this legend for you:

When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel.

Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.

The stairway's carpenter, whoever he was, built a magnificent structure. The design was innovative for the time and some of the design considerations still perplex experts today.

The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers relative to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway's construction.

Over the years many have flocked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase. The staircase has been the subject of many articles, TV specials, and movies including "Unsolved Mysteries" and the television movie titled "The Staircase."

The Loretto Academy, which was founded by the Sisters of Loretto in 1852 was closed in 1968, and the property was put up for sale. At the time of sale in 1971, Our Lady of Light Chapel was informally deconsecrated as a Catholic Chapel and today, it is a private museum.
 
Definitely looking forward to visiting this chapel!

Our day of driving would not be complete without a photo op with the Brontosaurus Family!  I'm sure the kids are sure to have a blast at this stop!! After a few great pics, we will continue onto to Albuquerque, where our cousins road trip all began!!!

Looking forward to seeing you live on the blog starting Oct. 4th at Balloon Fiesta, our first event of this amazing trip!!

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9 
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13

Hello!! Welcome to Part 13 of our New Mexico Road Trip Blog!! It's no secret just how much me and Tanya love to travel.  But, I have to say, there is something a little extra special when we are both on the same trip! I'm sure you can imagine how much we all miss each other - adults and kids alike.  Our upcoming trip is more than just travel - it's a way for our family to reconnect and strengthen our bonds.  New Mexico and all we have planned will be so much more than a travel adventure - it will be a family reunion!!

Okay, so before I get all teary eyed, onto what we have planned for Day 6! On this day, we will be waking up in Santa Fe.  We rented, what looks like, a very lovely house for the six of us.  I'm not sure how much sleep the kids will be getting, all bunked up together, and for that matter, me and Tanya, gabbing away.  

Our first full day has us visiting Nambe Falls, one of the most scenic sights in New Mexico, sixteen miles from the state capital of Santa Fe. Nambe Falls is situated above the Nambe Pueblo,which is located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Pueblo encompasses nineteen thousand (19,000) acres of land surrounded by national forest and is a registered National Historic Landmark and a major tourist attraction.

To reach Nambe Waterfalls, we will be taking a short 15 minute hike along the shaded cottonwood trails, where we will come upon three of the most spectacular natural falls in the Southwest. I can tell you that Tanya and I will be leading the gang on a short climb up the side of the canyon to capture a birds-eye view of the Falls! Please be sure to follow us as we blog daily on this trip as I can assure the photos we will be posting will be breathtaking!

A little bit of trivia for you - the scenic Nambé Rock Formations are not only popular with tourists, but with filmmakers as well. One popular movie in particular, “City Slickers”, starring Billy Crystal was filmed here.

We are also hoping to catch a glimpse of some American bison, also known as American buffalo in the area.  What a treat that would be for all of us to see these huge, shaggy haired creatures up close and personal! As we are all aware of, these massive creatures were once on the verge of extinction, so it's good to know they are protected and still roam throughout many national forests such as this one.

I'm betting that after a full morning of hiking, sightseeing and snapping photos, we will all be ready for some serious eating and yes, shopping!  Poor Dominic will be out-numbered by five feisty women who love to shop!!  The Old Town is where we will be headed to finish off our sixth day of our road trip.

We only have two more Road Trip blog posts before we are actually blogging in New Mexico!  If you have missed any of this blog series, catch up via the links below.  

See ya next week for Part 14!!!
-Elisa

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9 
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12

Day 5: Taos to Santa Fe
Drive to Santa Fe
Chimayo
Lunch near Chimayo
Saints and Sinners Sign
Arrive Rental House 
Dinner at home



We'll be starting out the morning with a lovely homemade breakfast, maybe we can even get our little chefs Gianna and Dominic to take the lead in the kitchen and cook up some yummy goodness! Next, we'll be checking out and hitting the road once again. Hey, what can you expect - it's a road trip! 
We'll be traveling along highway 518 and today won't be so bad, as it is only a 75 mile drive to Santa Fe from Taos. We've decide to take this route because we'll be stopping at the 48 mile mark in Chimayo. Heading to the 19th-century adobe church & National Historic Landmark, El Santuario de Chimayo! 
Which is actually one of the trip highlights that Tanya is looking forward to! 

- Chimayó is known internationally for its Catholic chapel, the Santuario de Nuestro Señor de Esquipulas, commonly known as El Santuario de Chimayó. Because of its reputation as a healing site (believers claim that dirt from a back room of the church can heal physical and spiritual ills), it has become known as the "Lourdes of America," and attracts close to 300,000 visitors a year, including up to 30,000 during Holy Week (the week prior to Easter). It has been called "no doubt the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States." 
- Chimayó is also known for the weaving traditions of the Ortega and Trujillo families, who have been weaving in the Spanish Colonial tradition for many generations and now operate weaving businesses near the Plaza del Cerro and in the placita of Centinela. We'll be sure to make a visit over there and check out their goods! This traditional craft is but one of several still practiced in the region, including tin smithing, wood carving, and making religious paintings. These activities, along with the local architecture and the landscape of irrigated fields, create a historic ambiance that attracts much tourism.  
 
We'll do some sight seeing, play with our photography skills, shopping and have a local lunch before all loading back up in our rentals and moving onto Santa Fe!!!

Our next stop will be to quench the quirky side of our road-trip (all road-trips need at least one!) We'll be quickly stopping in Espanola, New Mexico (about 20 miles north of Santa Fe), at the Saints and Sinners Liquor Store! Noooo we won't be boozing it up, we probably won't even be going in! This stop is strictly for the photo op!

After the kids have laughed their socks off at making fun of their silly mum's for adding this stop to the itinerary, we will have 38 more minutes to go (according to the GPS) until we arrive at our final destination of Santa Fe, New Mexico!!!

By now, it'll be about time to check in to our next "home away from home" (for the next 2 nights) vacation rental. Then we'll kick back & relax; while the kids stretch out & play; all while working up an appetite for whatever deliciousness that we decide to make and prepare for the our hungry little troops!  

And that will end our day from Taos to Santa Fe!! Tune in next Tuesday for Part 13!

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9 
Part 10
Part 11

 
Day 4: Taos
Taos Pueblo
Kit Carson Home & Museum 
Taos Downtown Historic District
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge at Sunset


After a day of driving and spending the night in our private rental, we will embark on our first full day in Taos.  We have planned a number of fun activities and sights to see.  

First before I go any further, I must apologize for an error in Part 10.  I inadvently said that we were going to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument at sunset, confusing it with our Sunset Trip to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. As such, I failed to tell you about Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument which we WILL be visiting on Day 3 of our road trip along the way to Taos from Albuquerque. The Tent Rocks are cone-shaped formations, which are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago which left pumice, ash, and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick.  From the pictures, this looks quite amazing and I can't wait to see them in person!
 
Now on to Taos!!!

The kids are so excited that all the cousins will be bunking up together in our rental house, here in Taos!  Tanya and I plan to get the troops up early on our first morning, have a big breakfast and hit the road for an action packed day.

Our first stop will be to the Taos Pueblo.  Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. It is made up of adobe buildings that are multi-storied and what's so amazing is that the Taos Indians have continuously inhabited them for over 1000 years!  That's way before Columbus discovered America! It is believed that the main part of the present buildings were probably built around 1000 and 1450 A.D.  Today, there are roughly 150 people that live with the Pueblo Full time.  There are other more modern homes outside the old walls, within the land of the Pueblo and in total there are over 1900 Taos Indians that reside on the Taos Pueblo land.

We will continue on to Kit Carson's Home and Museum. So, who is Kit Carson?  He was an American explorer and military leader during the 1800's who has become to some, a folk hero. As a Frontiersman (as well as a trapper, soldier and Indian agent), he is credited with making important contributions to the expansion of the United States westward.  

The Kit Carson Home, is now a famous tourist attraction. Built in 1825, Kit Carson purchased it in 1843 as a wedding gift for his bride, Josefa Jaramillo.  They would live there for 25 years and raise their children. Today it is a museum filled with artifacts and exhibits commemorating Carson's life and contributions to the westward expansion of America.

We are definitely going to be quite hungry by the time we get to the Taos Historic district, where we will most likely grab a bit to eat.  The history of Taos dates back to its establishment between 1780 and 1800 and is one of the oldest European settlements in the Taos valley.  It was originally built as a Spanish fortified plaza encircled with low adobe buildings.  It soon grew beyond the walls and turned into an important center for trade along the Santa Fe Trail. 

Throughout the 19th Century, it became a center for many artists who made their homes in and around the plaza. Much of the history of Taos and the various historic periods of it can be seen through the various styles of architecture of its buildings.

The rest of the afternoon we will spend leisurely walking around the town, picture taking and shopping (which I know Tanya and I are looking forward to doing!).  

Finally, as I incorrectly stated in Part 9, here in Taos is where we will be enjoying a lovely sunset viewing the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the "Gorge Bridge" and the "high Bridge" is a steel deck arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge, 10 miles northwest of Taos.  

Our plan is to head over there after spending a nice day in the the Historic Town.  We want to get there in time to view the sunset and get some great photos.  The kids will more than likely be pretty tired by this point, so our plan is to get them ice cream or another sweet treat.  If it's a little chilly, we'll get some hot cocoas to keep them happy while Tanya and I capture some great shots of the sunset. 

And that will end our full day in Taos with six travelin' cousins!! Tune in next Tuesday for Part 12!

-Elisa & Tanya
 

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9
Part 10

Many apologies for skipping a week between Part 9 and today's Part 10.  Both Tanya and I were a little overwhelmed with travel and personal to do lists.  But, here we are - back in the saddle to talk all about our drive from Albuquerque to Taos on Day 3 of our trip. 

With a number of sites and events behind us from our visit to Albuquerque, we will head off on the big road towards Taos. Most of the way, we will be traveling along I-84, but what's going to make this day chock full of fun is that we have a number of stops we will be making along the way.  This should also ensure that the kids don't go too batty cooped up in the car. 

Our first stop will be the Giant Red Arrow, which is conveniently located next to a Whole Foods.  For Vegans (and vegetarians) on the road, that is just what the doctor ordered!!  We will be taking lots of pictures in front of this crazy attraction, after loading up on some road food.  There really is no historic significance to this offbeat site, located at the intersection of School House Road and Carlisle from my research, but it was constructed to look as though its head became lodged in a stone-and-cement stand. It has now become an iconic site here in Albuquerque.

Check out this great site from Roadside America about other offbeat photo-op sites.  

As we continue easing' on down the road, we will come upon the Petroglyph National Monument, which is still within Albuquerque.  The monument is located within the park where visitors are allowed to hike the Volcanoes as well as the Piedras Marcadas Canyons from sunrise to sunset. Tanya and I haven't discussed yet how extensive our visit will be a this site, so we will leave a little bit up to being spontaneous! 

Back in the car and on the road, we will continue Northeast, most likely by way of I-25 towards Taos, our second city destination on our New Mexico road trip.  About an hour and 55 minutes drive, we should arrive at Bandelier Monument. This national park closes at 4:30pm, so we will have to be sure we get there by mid-afternoon, if we are going to enjoy walking around a bit. 

Within Bandelier's 33,000 acres there are over 70 miles of trail. Some trails are short easy loops while others can encompass many miles and steep rocky switchbacks. If we have the time, I know Tanya would agree, that we would like to do a short trail with the kids (weather permitting, and the 1.2 mile Main Loop trail is recommended as the best one for families. 

We will hit our last and final site for the day - Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.  This is where Tanya and I have a special treat planned for the kids.  We are going to load up on some snacks - hopefully ice cream or another sweet treat.  If it's a little chilly, we'll get some hot cocoas and head to Kasha-Katuwe to view the sunset.  Hoping to capture some gorgeous photos!

We will head off to our first private rental in Taos, but not before picking up some take out food for dinner for our whole gang. Lord knows, we will need some nourishment and a good night's sleep from our busy day!

So, that's our day of driving!! Can't wait!!!
-Elisa

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9

We hope you have been enjoying our blog about our New Mexico Road Trip.  Welcome to Part 9!  Starting with Part 8, we began to share with you, in-depth information about the sites and attractions we will be visiting during our 8-day trip throughout New Mexico together. Since our first day in Albuquerque will be spend attending Balloon Fiesta - with a crack of dawn start, I might add - we decided to mix things up a bit by paying a visit to the Sandia Peak on Day 2, first thing in the morning.  The big attraction here is Sandia Peak and the Sandia Peak Tramway, which stretches from the northeast edge of Albuquerque to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains.  The Tramway has the world's third longest single span at 2.7 miles and it is the longest aerial tram in North America.

The Sandia Mountains are located east of Albuquerque and largely within the Cibola National Forest.  Just a bit of fun trivial for you - the word Sandia means watermelon in Spanish. Many believe that this name was given because of the reddish color of the mountains at sunset. However, the name might have also been derived from the way the mounts look from the west, with the profile of the mountains possessing a ridge with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, resembling the "rind" of the watermelon. Of course, there can be a third explanation to the name which might be the result of the Spaniards thinking the squash growing at the base of the mountains were watermelon. Whatever the reason for its name, this beautiful mountain range is one of the top spots in Albuquerque and one that we plan to visit during our road trip in October.  

I'm going to be blunt here - I am not sure I will be up to the challenge of actually riding this tramway.  Tanya asked me if I was afraid of heights, and I told her "No, I'm afraid of falling." lol  My "baby" cousin has moved beyond her older cousin in her fearlessness.  I will keep an open mind, however, and play it by ear when we get to the mountain. 

So here are some of facts about the Tramway:
* A trip up the mountain takes fifteen minutes to ascend 3,819 ft  
* The normal operating speed of the tram is 12 miles per hour 
* Approximately four "flights" leave every hour from the base and top departure stations. 
* The view from the tram includes all of Albuquerque and roughly 11,000 square miles of the New Mexico countryside.

Sounds like a wonderful way to "see" New Mexico!  There are a number of activities to partake in once you reach the top. These include a number of trails for riding and backpacking and nature hiking. In the summer, 26 biking trails are available and in wintertime, skiing is possible. I'm not sure if we will be engaging in any of these, traveling with all the kids, but it's good information for future reference. 

Join us for Part 10 next Travelin' Tuesday!!
- Elisa

For Your Reference

Sandia Peak Tramway

Hello, Elisa here to bring you Part 8 of Elisa & Tanya's New Mexico Road Trip Planning. In Part 2 through Part 7 of our blogs, we spent a great deal of time working on the structure of the trip, which includes our accommodations as well as creating an itinerary of the places we will be visiting in each of the cities, along the way and in between.  I hope you have been keeping up with us, each step of the way and are enjoying the progress of all of our planning for our New Mexico adventure!  Don't worry, if you haven't, links to all the previous segments are below!

Now, you may remember, from way back, when we first announced our New Mexico Road Trip plan, the inspiration for our cousins' excursion was the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  This is the event around which, we built our road trip adventure! (see New Mexico Road Trip is Born). So, today, we are going to talk about the particulars of this spectacular event!  Both Tanya and I (and our respective troops!) arrive in Albuquerque on October 3rd.  We decided if we were going to go to Balloon Fiesta, we had to bear witness to two main events. The first is the Mass Ascension when the hot air balloons are launched. This is done on specific days (Balloon Fiesta Schedule)  and led by a balloon flying the American Flag to the sound of our National Anthem. We plan to be there bright and early on day 1 (Saturday, October 4th) to see these giant balloons take off and make their way into the sky.  The scheduled time is 7:00AM (weather permitting), but the field opens at 5AM to visitors.  We will be there bright and early, with all the kids!

Tanya and I both decided that one day of rooster wake up times will be enough for the kids. So, instead of an early day on Sunday (Day 2), we will instead start our day at a normal hour, do some local touring activities and then go back to the field for the second great event at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - the Balloon Glows. This is an evening event, in which the balloons fire their burners and light up at the same time! We can only imagine how unbelievably gorgeous this must look and will therefore, traverse back with the whole gang. If this isn't enough, Balloon Glows is followed by a magnificent fireworks display!

From the looks of things, there are quite a number of activities on site such as Arts and Crafts, Balloon rides, food stations and more.  I know we are going to have a blast!  We plan to blog daily from this spectacular event with photos and videos so mark your calendar for October 4th & 5th to check on on our site and on Facebook and Twitter for our postings!

This is the video that originally got me hooked on going to Balloon Fiesta!  It is a sensational time-lapse film created by Joel Schatt for Roadtrippers showing Balloon Fiesta from early morning with the mass ascension, through the evening Balloon Glows and fireworks display.  I know you will enjoy this as well!! 
See you next week for Part 9.
-Elisa 

Welcome to Part 7 of Tanya & Elisa's New Mexico Road trip. Things seem to be coming along in an awesome fashion! 
In Part 6, we planned out all of the sights and activities we are going to do during our two days in Taos.  While over there I am personally looking quite forward to going to the Pueblo and I also can't wait for us to get off some stunning sunset shots at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge! 
Leaving Taos, and heading over to Santa Fe we'll be stopping at the Historic El Santuario de Chimayo. Which again, should provide us with some extra lovely photo opps. After touring the Holy Shrine, we'll try out some local fare for lunch. While searching the web today Elisa found a very yummy sounding south western restaurant whose menu actually seems as though it will fit the needs of all our picky eating crew (myself included)!
Continuing our drive south to Santa Fe, we'll make one more stop; for a picture break at the Saints and Sinners Sign. Then straight to our next rental house, which is suppose to be in a great neighborhood and within walking distance to Beautiful Santa Fe Plaza. Once we're all checked in, we plan on making a nice Pasta dinner for the family. And being Italian we know it'll be good, and that we'll all be very happy!
The next day our plans consist of seeing the picturesque Nambe Falls, and searching for big ol' bisons, before heading to town and checking out Kakawa Chocolatier - Kakawa has been named one of the TOP 10 most luxurious places in the WORLD to drink hot chocolate! I do believe that we were both drooling all over our computers staring at the goodies available from this place!!!
 
Come along for the ride or plan your own with hints and tips from ours:

Day 5 Santa Fe


a)Chimayo - we are preparing to be in Awe!
b)Lunch near Chimayo
c)Saints and Sinners Sign - where the Red Light is always on! Pictures only my friends. Pictures only.

Day 6: Santa Fe

a)Nambe Falls & Bison, this is going to be a super easy 1/4 mile hike to the falls and then an around the loop trail to seek out some bison! With all of us being big animal lovers; I'm guessing that the kids will each get a kick out of this one!
b)Old Town, Santa Fe Plaza - for some sightseeing, shopping and eating. 

Day 7: Santa Fe to Albuquerque

a)Loretto Chapel - A must see! Maybe the kids can figure out the two mysteries that surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel?!
b)Brontosaurus Family (fun and quirky photo op) the kiddos should get a hoot out of this stop! 
c)Drive to Albuquerque


Even though we are all gonna be together in less than one months time in NY, we are all looking so forward to this Cousins New Mexico Road Trip! It's super exciting to think about our upcoming shared time together in October! 
- Tanya & Elisa

PS: For all of the details of this trip "at-a-glance" check out our New Mexico Road Trip Details page.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Welcome to Part 6 of Tanya & Elisa's New Mexico Road trip. We are moving right along. In Part 5, we planned out all of the sights and activities we are going to do during our three days in Albuquerque.  Of course, Balloon Fiesta is the highlight of this segment of the trip, but as we leave Albuquerque, we will be looking forward to seeing some other wonderful places along our drive to Taos.  These will include Giant Red Arrow, Petroglyph National Monument,  Bandelier Monument and Kasha Katuwe Tent Rock National Monument.  Since we figure everyone in our troop will be tired from a long day of sightseeing and driving, our plan is to pick up some take out food on the way to our rental house so we can kick back for the evening.

Tanya took the lead on doing research on the places we had earmarked to visit in Taos and after some chatting this week, we decided on our itinerary.  After a relaxing first night, we thought would get up nice and early, enjoy a nice breakfast and then set off for some sightseeing adventures.  Our plan is to see the following:

Day 1 Taos

a) Taos Pueblo
b) Kit Carson Home & Museum in the afternoon, to get in some history about the town.  We are hoping  the kiddies will appreciate that (and not drive us too crazy).  Then our plan for the evening is to drive to the...
c) Taos Downtown Historic District for some sightseeing, shopping and eating.   
d) Rio Grande Gorge Bridge which is supposed to be beautiful at sunset.  We are anticipating that we may need to give the kids alittle incentive for one last visit before heading home for the night. So, we are going to surprise them (more like bribe them!) with some kind of decadent dessert to grab that they can eat while Tanya and I capture as many photos as we can of the Bridge at sunset.  (We'll let you know how that works out!)
 
One thing we are 100% sure about is that the kids are going to love bunking up in the same house while we are in Taos and Santa Fe, so we're thinking that we might as well take advantage of as many "at home" meals as we can.  The kids will certainly love being more casual and honestly, as a result, they will probably eat better (especially Kelsey!).  Add to that, saving money and it's a perfect combo for everyone! So, we are planning to do a home cooked meal on our second (and last) night in Taos, before getting back in the car again the next day to head to Santa Fe.

We'll have more in Part 7 next week about our itinerary of sights in Santa Fe so tune in next Travelin' Tuesday!

- Elisa & Tanya

PS: For all of the details of this trip "at-a-glance" check out our New Mexico Road Trip Details page.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

 

Welcome to Part 5 of our New Mexico Road Trip.  We have had alot of fun sorting through the various sites and things to do while in Albuquerque.  Of course, the main focus, as you know, is the Balloon Fiesta!  We are so pumped for this trip!

So, here is the breakdown that we have come up with for the first three days of our trip. Mind you, we did all this planning on a text session yesterday - please don't think we are nuts for not just picking up the telephone to talk it through! We would love any input, if you have traveled to or are from Albuquerque!

Day 1: Albuquerque 
- Balloon Fiesta morning Session
- Afternoon for relaxing and hanging out
- Evening - Albuquerque Old Town for dinner and shopping

Day 2: Albuquerque
- Sandia Peak & Tram
- Botanical Gardens
- Balloon Fiesta Evening Session

Day 3: Drive from Albuquerque to Taos
Stop along the way to see 
a) Giant Red Arrow
b) Petroglyph National Monument
c) Bandelier Monument
d) Kasha Katuwe Tent Rock National Monument
- Arrive Taos, Eat and Settle in

We are working on finding some great dining places in and around Albuquerque that have menus for both vegan, vegetarian and picky!  Stay tuned for Part 6 and Taos Activities!!
- Elisa & Tanya

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4